Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Contributors -- Chapter 1 Introduction and Overview -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Definition of Low-Moisture Foods (LMF) and Water Activity Controlled Foods -- 1.3 Salmonella as a Continuing Challenge and Ongoing Problem in Low-Moisture Foods -- 1.4 Foodborne Outbreaks of Salmonella spp. and Other Implicated Microbial Pathogens in Low-Moisture Foods -- 1.5 Major Safety Concerns in Low-Moisture Foods -- 1.6 Content and Brief Book Chapter Review -- 1.7 Goal of the Book -- 1.8 How to Use the Book -- References -- Chapter 2 Regulatory Requirements for Low-Moisture Foods - The New Preventive Controls Landscape (FSMA) -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 FSMA Sanitation and cGMPs -- 2.3 FSMA Preventive Controls -- 2.4 Process Controls -- 2.5 Sanitation Controls -- 2.6 Supplier Controls -- 2.7 Summary of Requirements for Low-Moisture FSMA Regulated Products -- References -- Chapter 3 Potential Sources and Risk Factors -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Raw Ingredients Control and Handling -- 3.2.1 Identifying Vulnerable Ingredients -- 3.2.2 Supplier Management -- 3.2.3 Receiving and Transport -- 3.2.4 Segregation/Isolation of Raw, Vulnerable Ingredients -- 3.2.5 Assessment of Remediation Practices after Loss of Control (Potential Contamination of Facility) or Assessing Sanitation Practice Effectiveness -- 3.3 Pest Control -- 3.3.1 Integrated Pest Management -- 3.3.2 Web Resources for More Information -- 3.3.3 Choosing a Pest Control Partner -- 3.4 Salmonella Harborage in the Facility -- 3.4.1 Sanitation Practices that may Lead to the Spread of Pathogens -- 3.4.2 Equipment Sources -- 3.4.3 Hygienic Sources -- 3.4.4 Management Practices for Cleaning Equipment -- 3.4.5 Rolling Stock -- 3.4.6 Raw Materials -- 3.5 Conclusions -- References.

Chapter 4 Persistence of Salmonella and Other Bacterial Pathogens in Low-Moisture Foods -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Factors Affecting Survival of Salmonella and Other Pathogens in Low-Moisture Foods -- 4.2.1 Water Activity (aw) -- 4.2.2 Temperature -- 4.2.3 pH -- 4.2.4 Other Factors -- 4.3 Recovery of Salmonella Cells Stressed by Low-Moisture Foods -- 4.4 Mechanism of Salmonella Survival in Food Product and Processing Environment -- 4.4.1 Viable but Nonculturable (VBNC) -- 4.4.2 Filamentation -- 4.4.3 Osmoprotectants -- 4.4.4 Biofilm Formation -- 4.4.5 Outer Membrane Porins -- 4.4.6 Other Mechanisms -- 4.4.6.1 Activation of Genes for σE or σS Pathways -- 4.5 Other Vegetative Pathogens -- 4.6 Summary -- References -- Chapter 5 Best Industry Practices to Control Salmonella in Low-Moisture Foods -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Sanitation Practices -- 5.2.1 Dry Cleaning -- 5.2.2 Wet Cleaning -- 5.2.3 Cleaning Pattern/Planning -- 5.2.4 Chemical Selection and Specific Options -- 5.2.4.1 Oxidizers -- 5.2.4.2 Surfactants -- 5.2.4.3 Alcohols -- 5.2.5 Validation and Verification -- 5.2.5.1 Validation Methods and Considerations -- 5.2.5.2 Verification of Appropriate Cleaning and Sanitization -- 5.2.6 Facility Equipment and Design -- 5.2.6.1 Hygienic Facility Design -- 5.2.6.2 Facility Condition -- 5.2.6.3 Grounds -- 5.2.6.4 Other Facility Considerations -- 5.2.6.5 Penetration Points -- 5.2.6.6 Contractors -- 5.2.6.7 Employees -- 5.2.6.8 Rolling Stock/Moving Stock -- 5.2.6.9 Waste -- 5.2.6.10 Ingredients -- 5.2.6.11 Vending/Employee Meals -- 5.2.6.12 Personnel Health -- 5.2.6.13 Sanitation -- 5.2.7 Hygienic Equipment Design -- 5.3 Current Good Manufacturing Practice -- References -- Chapter 6 Heat Resistance of Salmonella and Other Bacterial Pathogens in Low-Moisture Foods -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Factors Affecting Heat Resistance of Foodborne Pathogens.

6.2.1 Strain of Bacteria -- 6.2.2 Surrogate Organisms for In‐Plant Validation -- 6.2.3 Culture Conditions -- 6.2.4 Properties of the Food -- 6.2.5 Inoculation Procedures -- 6.2.6 Food Storage Conditions -- 6.2.7 Recovery Conditions -- 6.3 Use of Published Heat Resistance Data to Establish Lethal Process Lethality in Low-Moisture Foods -- 6.4 Summary -- References -- Chapter 7 Validation Requirements in Heat-Processed Low-Moisture Foods -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Definitions -- 7.3 Tasks of Validation -- 7.4 Task 1: Assemble a Validation Team -- 7.5 Task 2: Identify the Hazard to be Controlled Through Hazard Analysis -- 7.6 Task 3: Identify a Validation Approach for the Control Measure -- 7.6.1 Generally‐held Historical Knowledge -- 7.6.2 Published "Safe Harbor" Processes -- 7.6.3 Regulatory Documents such as Performance Standards -- 7.6.4 Published Industry Processing Guidelines -- 7.6.5 Peer‐Reviewed Scientific Literature or Technical Data -- 7.6.6 Scientifically‐Valid Experimental Data such as a Microbiological Challenge Study -- 7.6.7 Previous Validation Studies -- 7.6.8 Scientific Pathogen Models -- Mathematical Modeling -- 7.6.9 Operational Data and Surveys -- 7.7 Task 4: Conduct the In-Production Validation -- 7.8 Task 5: Write the Results of the Validation in a Validation Report -- 7.10 Task 6: Implement the Control Measure, Monitors and Record Review -- 7.11 Task 7: Verify that the Control Measure is Operating as Intended -- 7.12 Task 8: Re-evaluate the Control Measure Periodically -- 7.13 Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 8 Test Methods for Salmonella in Low-Moisture Foods -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Sampling Plans -- 8.2.1 Product Testing -- 8.2.2 Environmental Monitoring Sampling Plans -- 8.2.2.1 Establishing the Monitoring Plan -- 8.2.2.2 Zone Assignment -- 8.2.2.3 Sampling Frequency -- 8.2.2.4 Track and Trend Results.

8.2.2.5 Conclusion -- 8.3 Types of Methods -- 8.3.1 Traditional Cultural Methods for Qualitative Analysis -- 8.3.2 Rapid Methods -- 8.3.3 Quantitative Methods -- 8.3.4 Strain Identification Methods -- 8.4 Matrices Testing Challenges -- 8.5 Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 9 Techniques to Determine Thermal Inactivation Kinetics for Pathogenic Bacteria and their Surrogate Organisms in Low-Moisture Foods -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Kinetics of Microbial Destruction -- 9.2.1 The D‐value -- 9.2.2 The z‐value -- 9.2.3 Nonlinear Microbial Destruction Kinetics -- 9.2.4 The F‐value -- 9.3 Experimental Design and Execution -- 9.3.1 Selection of the Target Organism -- 9.3.2 Experimental Matrix (Selection of the Product) -- 9.3.3 Test Culture Preparation -- 9.3.4 Product Inoculation -- 9.3.5 Selection of TDT Sample Container and Heat Transfer (Minimizing Come‐Up Times) -- 9.3.6 TDT Study Design: Selection of Study Parameters (Times and Temperatures to Use) -- 9.3.7 Conducting the Heat Treatment (Capturing Product Temperature Data) -- 9.3.8 Recovery and Enumeration of Bacterial Cells Post‐Heat Treatment (Including Sublethally Injured Cells) -- 9.3.9 Data Analysis -- References -- Chapter 10 Modeling and Statistical Issues Related to Salmonella in Low Water Activity Foods -- 10.1 An Introduction to Modeling Salmonella in Low Water Activity Foods -- 10.2 Developing a Predictive Model for Salmonella in Low Water Activity Foods -- 10.2.1 Primary Models -- 10.2.2 Criteria for Choosing the Best Applicable Model -- 10.2.3 Primary Model Fits -- 10.2.4 Secondary Models -- 10.3 Model Validation -- 10.4 Models in Risk Assessment -- 10.4.1 The Risk Assessment Model -- 10.4.2 The Monte Carlo Analysis -- 10.4.3 Sensitivity Analysis -- 10.4.4 Modeling Variability and Uncertainty -- 10.4.5 Available Tools in Risk Assessment -- 10.5 Summary -- References.

Chapter 11 Spoilage Microorganisms in Low-Moisture Foods -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Microorganisms Associated with the Spoilage of Low-Moisture Foods -- 11.2.1 Halophilic Organisms -- 11.2.2 Xerophilic Fungi -- 11.3 Factors Influencing Heat Resistance of Fungi in Low-Moisture Foods -- 11.3.1 Effect of Solutes -- 11.3.2 Effect of pH -- 11.3.3 Effect of Strains and Age of Spores -- 11.3.4 Effects of Growth Substrate and Medium Composition -- 11.3.5 Heat Resistance and Aflatoxin Production -- 11.4 Heat Resistance of Fungi in Low-Moisture Foods -- 11.5 Heat Resistance of Yeasts in Low-Moisture Foods -- 11.6 Preventing and Reducing Spoilage in Low-Moisture Foods -- 11.7 Conclusions -- References -- Index -- EULA.